Category Archives: Sweets

Healthy Caramel Apple Dip + A Fall Birthday Cake Recipe You Should Try

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Every fall, when I was kid, my mom took me, my sister and brother to Idylwilde Farm to pick out pumpkins and caramel apples. I loved this outing with her because she seemed to love celebrating fall more than any other season. She didn’t rush us when deciding on pumpkins or which caramel apples would taste better: one with nuts or one without nuts. She wasn’t hurried or pre-occupied  with other things. She was happy exactly where she was at that moment in time, with us. I realize now that I am a mother just how special that time was with her.

It is hard to be present when so many other things demand attention. I have a running list of things to do, most of which never fully get done. At times I am preoccupied with things I need or want to do, instead of enjoying my sweet boy and girl. This past weekend G turned 3. To celebrate his third birthday we went on a haunted hayride and we picked out pumpkins. I felt present during our outing. I enjoyed my time with Bubba and the kids. I pushed my mental check list away and focused on my family. It felt good. Maybe C and G will look back on our fall outings the same way I remember my outings with my mother. “Mom was happy and not rushed and it was nice.”

I found a recipe for a healthy caramel apple dip last year on the blog My New Roots. (This is a great website full of super healthy recipes. Check it out!) As much as I would love to take the kids to a local farm to pick out caramel apples, I can’t because of G’s peanut allergy. I made this recipe for him and he loved it! C is on the fence. Bubba likes anything sweet and so do I! I feel good letting him eat it too because it is not all processed sugar. I will make the kids traditional caramel apples before the month is over. Every kids needs to experience the delicious joy of an apple covered in caramel!

This apple dip is mainly made of Medjool dates and Sunbutter. The recipe is very easy to make but you do need to soak the dates for a least 4 hours before proceeding with the recipe.

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Medjool dates are super sweet and taste great on their own. Be sure to pit the dates before continuing with the recipe! Simply slice the date in half and remove the pit.

010I soaked the dates in water for 4 hours.

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Reserve the soaking liquid!  You will want to add some at the end to thin out the dip.

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Using a food processor, mix dates, Sunbutter, sea salt, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth.

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Add the soaking liquid until you get desired consistency. After I shot this picture, I immediately ate this spoonful. Yum!

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This dip is excellent with most apples. I had Fuji apples on hand for this photo. Go apple picking, whip up a batch of this dip and enjoy with friends and family.

Healthy Caramel Apple Dip

recipe slightly adapted from My New Roots

makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups pitted Medjool dates

1/4 cup Sunbutter

4 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp sea salt (may want more)

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

soaking liquid from dates

Directions:

Soak dates in water for 4 hours. Drain the dates, reserving the soaking water. Set aside.

Using a food processor, add dates, 1/4 cup of Sunbutter, lemon juice, sea salt and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.  Add soaking water, one spoonful at a time, until you reach desired consistency. I kept my dip a little thick so we could scoop it easily with an apple slice. If you think you might use it as a topping for ice cream, which sounds incredible, make it thinner.

Dip can be kept refrigerated for up to one week. Enjoy!

A Fall Birthday Cake to Try

To celebrate G’s birthday I made a roasted apple sheet cake with maple buttercream frosting. He loved it and so did everyone else. This is a dense and super moist cake with bits of roasted apple throughout. It is not a typical birthday cake but certainly one that will be warmly received at any fall birthday or special occasion. You can find the recipe here.  The recipe will make 2 9×13 cakes but I cut it in half and it fed 15 people with several slices left over.The maple buttercream frosting worked well with the roasted apples. It is not overly sweet which the kids liked. I know, crazy, my kids don’t like super sweet frosting. Head here for the recipe.

0064G is obsessed with fire trucks. I found the cake topper on this Etsy site.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars A La Mode Plus 5 Incredible Fall Breakfast Recipes

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A short note to fall:

Welcome back fall, it’s been awhile. I see you are starting to make yourself comfortable. The sky is a deep, beautiful blue, the air is super crisp, bits of red and orange are visible on the leaves and I pulled out my slippers. I’m not blaming you, I run cold, especially my feet. I will happily adjust to the cooler, shorter days and long cold nights. It is time to get acquainted with each other again and enjoy all the beauty you offer us every year without reserve. Other than the spectacular red, yellow and orange leaves, apples are my favorite gift from you. Thank you. Thank you for all this beauty and bounty before the long, cold winter begins. Love, Kelly

_KH10008Our CSA share gave us 5 beautiful Macintosh apples one of which went into my recipe for apple cinnamon oatmeal bars. This idea came from Joy the Baker’s Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies. The apples, cinnamon and oatmeal make for a very comforting combination of flavor, texture and smell. I chopped the apples small so a bit of apple in almost every bite. The bar is very moist so it lasts for several days. Bubba said the bars taste like apple pie but are easier to eat. The kids, who don’t particularly like chunks of anything in dessert, gobbled the bars up. Add a little vanilla ice cream and it  becomes a dessert friends and family will ask for repeatedly!

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I used white whole wheat flour a for a bit of health and nuttiness. The cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the bitter-sweet Macintosh apple and the oatmeal adds a nice texture. After you peel and chop the apple, toss it with a little lemon juice so the apples don’t brown. Adding walnuts or pecans would be really tasty but since G has a nut allergy I never use nuts.

_KH10017Line a 8×8 metal baking dish with parchment paper. Spread out batter evenly and pop them into the oven. Bake the bars at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. My house smelled incredible while the bars baked. The kids kept asking “are they ready yet?” Be prepared for family and friends to hang out in the kitchen more often than normal. You may even see them drool as they wait.

Start checking the bars around 20 minutes. The bars are done when the top is golden brown and a few moist crumbs remain on the wooden toothpick._KH10021Allow the bars to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 1/2 hour. Lift the bars out using the parchment paper over hang. Cut bars into 9 squares or less if you want really big bars.

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Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars A La Mode

recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

makes 9 bars

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup old fashion oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a good pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped small ( I used Macintosh but Granny Smith would be yummy too)

1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Be sure that some of parchment paper hangs over two sides which will make removing the bars from the pan a lot easier.

In a medium size bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

Peel and chop the apple and in a small bowl toss with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Set aside.

With stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute.

Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour/oat mixture until just combined. Stir in the apple chunks. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to check the bars starting at 20 minutes. You don’t wan to over bake!

After the bars have baked, allow them to cool on a wire rack for about a half hour. Remove from the pan and cut into big or small squares. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Take a big bite and enjoy!

5 Super Tasty Fall Breakfast Recipes

I love breakfast food and below is 5 recipes that I must try this fall. I’ll report back on my favorite.

Combine waffles and apple cider and you’ll get this tasty breakfast which sounds perfect on a cool morning.

I love Smitten Kitchen. I encourage you to check out this blog if you haven’t already. Deb Perelman’s recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with a cream cheese glaze is a must try. In fact I may need to make them for G’s upcoming birthday.

Do you love a scone in the morning? Try this recipe from King Arthur Flour.

Lets not forget about muffins and pear season. Head over to the Kitchn for this muffin recipe.

When you want a healthy start to your morning, try this pumpkin oatmeal pancake recipe.